Yuri Lyamin with N.R. Jenzen-Jones Images shared to social media channels in early November show the remnants of a precision guided artillery projectile documented in Warshafana, Libya. According to the Libya Times, these projectiles were fired against Warshafana by forces of Zintan Military Council which is led by Osama Ajwaily – commander of the Western

The Libyan revolution deposed the Qaddafi regime in 2011, bringing to an end the tight regulation of the domestic arms trade. Military stockpiles were raided, and small arms and light weapons made their way into the hands of non-state armed groups and private sellers. The subsequent conflicts after the fall of the Qaddafi regime have

N.R. Jenzen-Jones Images shared on social media show a handful of watercraft associated with the Al-Bonyan Al-Marsous operations, operating out of Misrata, Libya. The force includes at least two tugs, the Assameeda, based out of Misrata, and the Almergheb, based out of Tripoli. These vessels have formerly been associated with the Libyan Coast Guard. The tugs are equipped with a range of weapon

The ARES Team Update 29/6/16: The image appears to be lightly distorted, however the steel magazine second from left in the top row, appears to be a Chinese 5.56 x 45 mm magazine. This may further support the possibility the weapon is an AK-101 (adopted in limited numbers elsewhere in Africa), however an AK-103 remains the most likely identification.

Graeme Rice ARES recently announced our ongoing data collection and analysis pertaining to the illicit sale of arms via social media and communications platforms in conflict and post-conflict zones. From time to time, we will be featuring items of interest uncovered during our research, here on The Hoplite. A rare Hungarian Danuvia K1 (Kucher Model 1)

Armament Research Services (ARES) has produced significant original research examining the online trade in small arms and light weapons within Libya. The project outputs rely on a database, developed by ARES, which contains information about both groups and individual traders active on popular social media and communication platforms.The project will consist of two published reports, released under Small

ARES is proud to announce the release of the fifth publication in our Research Report series, entitled “A Tale of Two Rifles: The proliferation of F2000 and AK-103 self-loading rifles exported to Libya in 2004 – 2009“. This research report examines the proliferation of Belgian FN Herstal F2000 and Russian IZHMASH (now Kalashnikov Concern) AK-103-2 self-loading rifles within

N.R. Jenzen-Jones Over the past five years, Bulgarian Arsenal 5.56 x 45 mm AR-M9 and AR-M9F self-loading rifles have been documented in the hands of Libyan, Yemeni, and Sudanese armed forces. In each of these cases, sources indicate that the weapons in question may have been provided by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). According to

N.R. Jenzen-Jones Images recently posted to Twitter and Facebook appear to show the remains of an RBK-250 ZAB-2.5 incendiary cluster munition, apparently documented in Derna, in eastern Libya. ZAB (Zazhygatelnaya Aviatsionnaya Bomba; incendiary aircraft bomb) series weapons include a range of unitary incendiary bombs as well as cargo munitions. The RBK-250 ZAB-2.5 has a nominal weight of

Michael Smallwood An update to our November blog post on the Caracal Model F self-loading pistol documented in Tripoli’s Old City, Libya, comes courtesy of the UN Panel of Experts on Libya’s latest report to the UN Security Council. This report analyses the effectiveness of the arms embargo on Libya as well as other related